My Professional Hopes and Goals

Hi Colleagues,
Thanks once again for all the contributions you made throughout this course. They were a source of support for me. I wish you all the best in your upcoming course and look forward to your continued collegial support.This course was very insightful. The concepts of diversity  that I have learned have been concreted in my mind.

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that every family that comes through our doors will feel comfortable because of the removed barriers and the respect that will be shown to them despite their race, nationality, sexual orientation preference, religion, gender, and excreta. I also hope that as we continue to stand for social justice we would eventually eradicate all forms of social injustices meted out to those who are from diverse backgrounds and do not confirm to the normative culture.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to equip all teacher educators with the tools needed address issues of oppression and discrimination. I believe if they are skilled enough then they will be able to equip each early childhood teacher with the tools needed to stand up against injustices. Can you imagine working at a centre where all are equipped and on board with the notion of equity for all? What a force they will be. 

Blog: Welcoming Families From Around the World

Blog: Welcoming Families From Around the World

For this assignment, imagine the following scenario:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

In order to complete this assignment, first choose a country you know nothing about as this family’s country of origin.


POST        The name of “your” family’s country of origin
                  At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this                           family.
                 A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you                    and the family.

The name of the family's country of origin is Brazil. Brazil is one of our closest neighbours in South America and Brazilian families have been migrating to our country in large numbers. If a Brazilian comes to my child care centre I would have to prepare myself to welcome that child and his family. Firstly, I would seek to learn key words and greetings in Portuguese the language of Brazil. This will enable me to connect to the child and family on their arrival. Secondly, I would meet with the family through an organized home visit. During the home visit I would seek to learn about the family culture, expectations and also about the child. I have included this visit in my preparations because I understand that surface culture would not provide the information that is needed for me to understand the true dynamics of the specific family I need to go deeper. Thirdly, once I understand the culture of the family I would ensure that the resources include images that reflects their culture. Fourthly, I would seek to prepare the teachers and the children to welcome this child by talking about the culture of the people of Brazil.  I would also talk to them about how to treat someone who looks and speaks differently than they do. This will ensure that the stress of transitioning to a new environment is lessened. 
I trust that the these preparations will provide a sense of cultural continuity. I also hope that it would help to establish and foster respectful relationships with the child and his family. Most importantly, that the child transitions smoothly into his new environment. 

  Prejudice: My Personal Experience

·         What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

·     In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

·     What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

·     What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

       One incident of prejudice that keeps recurring in most of the African made movies are stereotypes of black women. These movies are mostly made in Nigeria. I like looking at them because I find the plot and themes very interesting. They are also similar to the Caribbean culture and easy to relate to. However, in many of these movies women are portrayed  as dishonest cheats, gold diggers, lazy, and other demeaning characters. I believe that specific biases portrayed in these movies diminish equity by placing the woman at a lesser status than men. The men in my community who look at these movies describe women as untrustworthy, cheats, no good and excreta when the sit around to chat about women. It also sends a wrong message to other young black women that they need to prostitute, rob or deceive men to survive or achieve things in life. Every time I see women portraying these characters I am appalled and embarrassed. I think the actresses need to demand that the writers produce scripts that are positive about the roles of women and how much they can achieve through hard work and by asserting their independence.   

·    

        Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

     Since learning about microaggressions, my awareness of it seemed to have been heightened. I am realizing that microagressions occur everyday and many times go unnoticed. This evening  I attended one of my friend's baby shower. She is of African descent and is very dark in complexion. Her husband is of mixed races and is very fair in complexion and has soft wavy hair. One of the games that we played is ' Guess what your baby looks like' . One of the attendees drew her representation of the baby with a black crayon, which indicated that she believed that the baby will be dark skinned like its mother. My friend's husband's mother and sister were upset by this. They said that the baby should look like its father because dark babies are not as attractive as fair ones. Well the game broke into an argument between those who disagreed and those who agreed with the statement.  Though it was done in friendly chatter I observed and wondered how the mother of the unborn child felt about the comments. I wondered if she was suffering from the Catch 22 dilemma. I asked the group if they did not think it was disrespectful to put down people of dark complexion while elevating persons of  a fairer complexion. I asked them to think about the psychological damage that could occur over a period of time to someone being told that he/she is not good enough because of the colour of their skin. They said that they were only referring to babies and that I was getting too philosophical and therefore spoiling the mood of the party.
     I continued to observe the mother to be after the discussion ended to see if there were any observable traits of pain but, I found non. I guess she has learnt how to cover the hurt felt from those microagressions  over time.  My observation experiences this week on microaggressions has caused me to realize that people can be insensitive. We hold prejudices and discriminate, sometimes totally unaware of how much pain we cause others.

    ,

  

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Common in all of the definitions  of culture that I have heard in the responses  is that culture refers to our way of life, our values our traditions and practices and food. These definitions of culture all signal that the persons that I spoke with have some idea about what culture involves. However, I realize that the complexity of culture is not fully understood. I would have probably defined culture similarly a few weeks earlier. As I listened to the definitions of diversity I realized that they had some insight into what diversity is about. Many of the responses included: differences in race, differences in culture, gender, wealth, attitudes and excreta.
 During this course I have learnt that culture involves everything that we do, from the way we stand to the way we walk or talk, etc. The definitions that were shared limited the concept of culture. Culture is wider and entails the finer details of our lives that we may not even pay attention to. What was ommited from definitions shared is the concept of deep culture. Deep culture goes beyond surface culture to highlight the intricate details about culture. I have learnt that one would never truly understand culture by focusing only on surface culture. One needs to go deeper. Deep culture provides a true and clearer understanding of culture. After listening to the definitions shared I have concluded that knowledge on vastness of culture is limited. More work needs to be done at all levels to have persons understand the complexity of culture because it affects all aspects of our lives.


  

 My Family Culture

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

:A description of the three items I would choose 

 I would take take my family's photo album - This is a album of photos of relatives dating back to my fourth and fifth generations.

Grandma's Quilt. A beautifully woven  quilt that was made by my great grand mother.

My Bible- A holy book that Christians read for spiritual development and connection to God.

How would I explain to others what each of these items means to me

I value the photo album of my family because it holds the images of my dearest relatives, some whom I have never met, but have heard their stories about how they contributed to the growth and development of my family. I would also take the album because it may carry the only physical images of those relatives that have lost their lives in the catastrophic event. 

Grandma's Quilt- This quilt has sentimental value. It was a gift from my great grandmother to my mother, her eldest grand daughter, when she had me. She has given it to me and I hope to pass it to my daughter or grand daughter some day. It has the names of four generations of the Lewis women woven into it. 

I would take my bible because I am a Christian. Christianity has been the religion that my family has practised for generations. Each generation was taught to love and respect God by the elders. When I grew to the age where I could choose, I chose to continue serving God because I had built a personal relationship with God   I believe in such a situation I would need to keep closest to God to maintain my sanity. As I read the holy scriptures, I will be inspired to live on despite the catastrophe.  

My feelings if, upon arrival, I was told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me.

After losing everything then being asked to get rid of two of the three precious items I have kept will be devastating. However, I will choose to keep my bible. When everything is lost I have learnt to depend on God who is my source of strength. My faith teaches that God is the restorer of all things so I believe that once I have faith in God, then I have or will have all that I need to continue along. 

Insights I gained about myself, my family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differ that in general, as a result of this exercise.

I realize that my family and faith are very important to me. As I reflected on the value system, struggles  and successes that helped to create my family culture I am proud to be a member of this family.  Our family culture is wonderful. My appreciation for my family culture has grown through this activity. 

Hi Colleagues,
Thanks once again for all the contributions you made throughout this course. They were a source of support for me. I wish you all the best in your upcoming course and look forward to your continued collegial support.

This course was very insightful. The concepts of research with young children that I have learned have been concreted in my mind. Concepts such as triangulation, identifying scholarly from non- scholarly research ,  constructing research questions from which a hypothesis could be drawn and excreta.

My ideas about the nature of doing research have changed. Before, I thought that the quantitative design method was the only approach used when conducting research. I have learned that various approaches can be used and that the more methods used the more valid the information is likely to be. My approach to doing research has changed in that I am now able to utilize a mixed method approach to research. I have found this approach workable.I also realize that it is important to adhere to key ethical issues when conducting research with children. Overall because of the knowledge gained through this course. I am more positive about this whole notion of research. I am more opened and willing to put into practice all that I have learned.

I have learned about the various approaches that can be applied to research in early childhood.  Structuring the research question to avoid ambiguity is important. I have also realized that research questions play a key role in determining what design approach is suitable for the study and that the research can only be well designed if what is to be researched is clearly understood by the researcher.

There are a few things that I found quite challenging during the course, but I was able to overcome them. Initially I found the task of identifying and writing research questions and the hypothesis difficult, but as I followed the guidelines given by Dr Todd I was able to refine my question and make it more suitable. Distinguishing between scholarly and non- scholarly articles on the internet was another challenge. I met this challenge by following the guidelines set out  and completing the activities. Through this process I was able to gain a clearer understanding of these concepts.

Before this course I never saw the ECH professional, especially the classroom practitioner as one who  engages in regular research activities with her students and their families. What I have realized is that the ECH practitioner constantly utilizes opportunities to research, so that they can keep updated on the new trends in early childhood. I have also realized that the effective ECH practitioner is one who conducts research regularly with her children in order to cater adequately for their needs. I now see the the ECH professional as a someone who embraces and engages in research practices to improve the life of young children and their families. 

Research Around the World

The link that I selected is http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

• What are some of the current international research topics?
• Some of the topics that are current on this link are:
• Coordination and Supervision of Early Childhood Education in Ghana- This study identified the factors which militate against the successful implementation of early childhood education in Ghana. Information and insights werre provided into the coordination and implementation of ECD programs and activities, and the study attempted to identify the basis for improving such programs in Ghana. The findings will provide inputs for initial in-service training for ECD organizers and educators, and will throw light on the structures that need to be put into place for effective program management.
• Improving the Quality of Childcare Through Parenting Enrichment and Training- This research focused on how Eritrea has embarked on a journey to use alternative strategies, both formal and non-formal, to promote the holistic development of children from birth through six years. One such strategy is the Eritrea Parenting Enrichment intervention.Families and communities, as well as broader social and cultural contexts, make up a complex background for the process of parenting and parenting support. Effective Early Childhood Development (ECD) takes all these factors into consideration. 

• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
• I was surprized to learn that many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have continued to be poorly represented due to successive wars and droughts, the overall opportunities created for early years’ interventions have remained of low quality and limited to only a small percentage of children.
• During the period 1998-1999, only 5% of children aged 5-6 were enrolled in kindergarten centres, most of them in urban areas (Ministry of Education, 1999). Regarding the health sector, apart from the existence of immunization services, health interventions reaching young children have been very inadequate. High levels of poverty and illiteracy, especially among women, make the situation worse. As an early childhood professional these issues highlighted sadden me but makes me aware of the struggles that chilldren face in other parts of the world.
          

• What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
• I was pleased to learn that the EIECDP aims to achieve a 20 percent decrease in fatality cases in children from the five major causes – malaria, ARI, diarrhoea, measles and malnutrition, a 20 percent decrease in malnutrition – as measured by prevalence of underweight in children below 6 years of age, a 20 percent decrease in repetition and dropout rates between grades 1 and 2, and the reunification of 32,000 orphans with their nearest relatives by the year 2005. In addition, the project will reach 31,000 children from 5 to 6.

                                                  The Positive Effects of Research on Children



Research can make a positive change in the lives of children and their families. I am intrigued by the current and recent research being done on the brain of young children. The implications of this research are far reaching. It can be used to educate parents and caregivers about the critical window of opportunity in a child's life that can ensure a child's healthy development. For example, Research proves that a child's early development is determined by his daily environment and experiences, rather than genetics alone. The experiences young children receive in the first three years of life are crucial to brain development. As your child receives loving care and stimulation, neural connections are formed between his brain cells. These connections form the wiring system of the brain. Your child's early experiences largely determine the strength and function of her brain's wiring system. Warm responsive parents, who cuddle and talk to their children and provide challenging learning experiences, promote healthy brain development for their children.
New technology allows the thorough study of the brain, like we've never seen before. These studies prove that a child's early development is determined by his daily environment and experiences, rather than genetics alone. Researchers now believe it is the plasticity of the brain, its ability to develop and change in response to the demands of the environment, that enables a child to learn to use computers, solve mathematical problems and learn foreign languages. In order to fully understand this information, we must first understand how a child's brain works and develops.
Researchers now believe it is the plasticity of the brain, its ability to develop and change in response to the demands of the environment, that enables a child to learn to use computers, solve mathematical problems and learn foreign languages. In order to fully understand this information, understand how a child's brain works and develops.
These new developments in brain research show us what children need. Early childhood professionals are able to learn about young children and how best to cater for their needs. Parents also benefit from this information.

Retrieved from http://www.jumpstarttulsa.com/brain_development.htm

Building Research Competencies. EDUC 6163

                                                  
              Hi Colleagues,
                                Great to be blogging with you all once again!
  


                                                      Beginning My Research Simulation

I have decided to focus on the topic 'Transition'. I want to research this area because it is important to children and their families and also because it needs much attention in my country. My research topic will likely read:  
                 "Ways of improving the transition program from nursery to early primary".

One may ask why it is important to give attention to children’s transition in school. The answer is quite simple. That this is the time when systems fail children the worst and that is the time they most urgently need attention (Rodrigues, 2000).  A quality Transition to School continues children's development and learning, building resilience at this key life cycle transition point for school and life generally.  Pianta (2004) writes that a good transition to school process ensures children will start school ready to learn and schools will be ready for children.  It should build on children's prior learning and develop strong links between parents, prior to school and during school.  There is much to be learned from parents and prior-to-school services about what children already know when they enter school.

               Currently, the state of transition from nursery to the early primary levels in Guyana is unacceptable.The time period is clearly inadequate.

         I believe that this process does not give the young learners a fair chance to succeed. Preparation for success is the best way to achieve it and it is my belief that a quality transition program can prepare the children to achieve much.

                       I believe that this process needs to be examined thoroughly and this can be done through a research of this nature. If the problems can be identified and rectified, then many children may have a chance at success during those early years. Parents must be educated about the importance of this process to the child and know how they can contribute to it. However, there is a need to find out how best this should all be done.

        Thus far I am enjoying this research simulation process. I like the way Dr Todd is taking us through the various aspects of this course bit by bit with examples and explanations to help clarify and help build our competencies in research. Hope the entire process will be a similar experience. I am still somewhat nervous about getting to the analysis and calculations. Do you have any advice on how I can master this particular aspect of research? Will be happy to hear your thoughts.

Final Blog Assignment

A note of appreciation.
Colleagues it was wonderful connecting and collaborating with you during these eight weeks. I am sure that you would agree that the assignments and resources presented by Dr Davis were instrumental in us understanding the issues and trends that are current in the early childhood field. Thank you Dr Davis. Colleagues I wish you success as you work towards completing your studies in early childhood. 





 Post at least three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development.

• Knowledge is power. I feel empowered to move forward and to positively connect with those who work in the field and make a positive impact on the lives of children. 
• I realize that all across the world early childhood sectors have challenges. Sometimes being self absorbed in the issues that surround our sector, I easily felt that the challenges were unique to our local sector, but in reality  they were not.This has caused me to be more optimistic about finding solutions.
• I have also benefited from the exposure to the information presented. I was able to learn about some of the approaches that others have used and their success stories. Some of them can be applied to my local situation and are likely to work. 
• Post one goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations
• It is my goal to collaborate with my colleagues around the globe to work towards eradicating poverty and to ensure that there is equity in the quality of education and care offered to all children, especially during their early years. 
• 

 Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

This week, in response to my questions my early childhood contact sent me a copy of a policy document that she thought would be helpful in providing the answers that I needed. Hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Many strategies and services for assisting children to meet these goals already exist in the current programmes of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human and Social Services and the Municipalities (see section 2.2). In addition, there is an increasing number of service providers in the private sector and in community based initiatives. However, to better ensure that the enabling environment for the achievement of this quality of life is accessible to all the nation’s children, it is essential that a coordinated, collaborative approach be taken to extend access to children who do not currently participate in services, or who do not participate regularly, and ensure the provision of the best quality and most culturally appropriate ECD services for children in every region in Guyana.


Guyana is striving to provide an adequate early childhood experience for every child which will be dependent on the child being exposed to healthy and safe environments with warm, caring caregivers such as parents, grandparents, family members and early childhood workers; persons who the child trusts and who provide opportunities for ongoing stimulation and holistic development. There is no preferred setting where such environments have to be created and they can be effectively developed in a variety of settings including the home, pre and post natal clinics, formal day care centres and nursery schools and community-based early childhood groups. What is important is that the persons in these settings have the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes and materials to engage the children in healthy, safe and developmentally appropriate activities.


In Guyana, there is no legislative provision for day care and community based services at this time; however, an amendment to the Education Act to include these services under the same regulations as nursery education would be a feasible and straightforward option.
The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has been successful in ensuring the passing of the a The Child Care and Protection Act 2010 which gives directions among others to the provision and maintenance of child care centres to the recommendations of laws relating to children’s welfare. These child care centres referred to are specific to children in institutions such as orphanages. Minimum operational standards are in place for these institutions. The Act does not give guidance to child care facilities for ECD stimulation. Such as day cares, play groups, excreta.

 Current Status
The current situation with early childhood programming presents considerable challenges for access by low income families, families in the hinterland and riverine communities. Children in the large towns and cities have greater access to services, but also face the challenge of cost, quality and equity in the services being delivered.


 Access.
, there were 174,217 children in the population between zero and eight years of age. Of this number, 70,742 were children in the zero to three years nine months cohort. A combined strategy of support to small village communities by health practitioners and support to early stimulation and parenting in the clinics provides services to children under the age of three years nine months. More than 300 children are enrolled in the five municipal day care centres. In terms of access, it is not known exactly how many of the zero to three years nine months cohort participates in early childhood programming in community based and private sector day care services, and is estimated to be less that 1% of the eligible children in this age cohort. This low level of participation is believed to be influenced in part by the requirement to pay a level of fees at the services, presenting a considerable challenge for low income families as well as the lack of knowledge of the importance of ECD. There are disparities across the country indicating much lower levels of access in riverain and hinterland areas where the additional difficulty presented by geography makes it impracticable to provide group day care services. For parents in these areas, it is more feasible to take children along with them to their farms. Given the importance of supporting the development of children zero to three years of age, it is clearly important to extend access to services of quality.
Universal, free access to nursery education is provided potentially to 90% of the population. In 2009, there were 40,798 children between the ages of three years nine months and five years nine months. Of these 25, 538 (63%) were reported as enrolled in nursery education2. The reason for the disparity between potential access of 90% and actual access by 62% is not known; however, access is difficult in some hinterland and riverain communities, where homes are widely dispersed, distances are great, or access by kayak or boat is limited due to the age of the children and their level of competence at swimming. Access is further constrained in some remote or indigenous communities by the absence of teacher qualified persons living there, or being prepared to make a commitment to staying there once recruited. However, by 2013 all children within this age group will have access to nursery education3.
From nursery education, children transition into primary education at five years nine months, where although there is universal, free access for 100% of the population, the rates of participation vary in some regions for reasons believed to be similar to those in nursery education. Of the 36,637 children 5 years nine months to seven years nine months in the population in 2009, 29,940 were reported as enrolled in Grades 1 and 2 (82%)4.
There is a need to ensure that the population actively engages in the available nursery education and primary education opportunities, and it is important to accelerate public education efforts to ensure that the benefits of education are widely understood and appreciated.

Quality
There is wide variation in the quality of early childhood services offered to children under the age of three years nine months. Services other than municipal day care services are dependent 6
on fee income from parents, and a pattern of higher quality tends to follow those services in which higher fee income can be sustained from parents in middle and high income groups.
One of the factors in determining quality in early childhood services is the education, training and qualification level of the early childhood practitioner – mothers, nurses, community health workers day care and play school practitioners and siblings . In fact, research has shown that the most important ingredient in good quality development experiences for children is the adult who is caring for them or helping them learn. It is of concern that in general, the level of training and qualification of staff in privately operated centres serving low income families is lower than that in centres serving higher income levels. It is also a challenge attracting the higher qualified staff to work and live in the remoter areas of Guyana, in health or in education positions.
The range of training and qualifications required in the early childhood workforce includes techniques and skills for supporting nutrition, screening, therapeutic services and early stimulation in the health services; nutrition, child development and child care practices in child care and day care centres; and child development, early learning and child centred pedagogies in the education services. Child care workers are not required to have completed secondary education; however, since 2010, they are now able to access certificate training in early childhood development at the University of Guyana. In order to access early childhood teacher training, applicants need 5 subjects Caribbean Certificate in Secondary Education, Grades 1, 2 or 3, of which two subjects must be English and Mathematics. Progression from the teacher’s qualification to Bachelors and Masters Degree for both nursery and primary teachers is possible through programmes offered at the University of Guyana . Teachers at nursery and primary levels are remunerated on the same salary scale, and share the same opportunities for further study and career progression. Therefore, the opportunities exist to access training and qualifications needed for the care and education of children in early childhood. However, at this time only 80 % of health workers are qualified in supporting nutrition, screening, therapeutic services and early stimulation, 90% are qualified in child care; 988 or 56% of classroom teachers are qualified in nursery education and 2360 or 59% are qualified at the primary education level.


Coordination
Responsibility for management and coordination of the sector also needs to be addressed. The current arrangement has four agencies of government with responsibilities under legislation for the key services and supports within the sector as a whole. The scope of authority and responsibility of each one needs to be set out in a coordinated mechanism to ensure coherence in the Government’s efforts to improve access and quality in the sector.
Sustained improvements in the early childhood experience of the children in Guyana will therefore require a policy framework that approaches the sector in a coordinated fashion; that addresses their ability to access early childhood services; and provides for the quality of the services delivered in the programmes to be of a standard that will be beneficial to the children participating in the programmes.


Increase access to early identification/intervention services, and early stimulation and early education services for all children from zero to eight years of age.
This strategy seeks to improve overall access to early childhood services for the zero to eight cohort from the current level of participation to 100% participation in nursery and primary education, and 40% participation in services for children zero to three years old by the end of 2015. This will require the mobilization of the population to ensure that their children participate in both health and education services. In addition it will require that community based provision for child care for children zero to three years nine months be accessible and affordable for the populations that need it most and that children who require intervention services will be able to access early childhood stimulation services, including parenting education, delivered through the health clinics.
The actions that will be undertaken to implement this strategy are premised on the principle that private sector operators will continue to play a lead role in the provision of services to the sector, particularly in the day care services offered in urban areas, but that the government will intervene to ensure that the most vulnerable in the population also have the ability to access early childhood services, particularly through support to child development by health clinics in the riverine and interior areas.

To improve the quality of service offered the Ministries of Health and Education together will work together in extending the existing nursery education curriculum into a harmonized learning strategy for supporting children’s learning from zero to five years nine months in day care, community based services and nursery education.
Provide in service training and professional development for the early childhood workforce in community based and day care services. The Ministry of Education and the Municipalities will support the training of staff in the use of the learning strategy for children below the age of three years nine months and for teachers engaged in supporting the transition of children into nursery education and primary school. This will include the lessons learned from successful innovations such as the Shared Reading and Language Experience and Health and Family Life Education.

Coordinate support for the upgrading of physical facilities and for sourcing materials and equipment for teaching and learning in early childhood services. Lead by the Ministry of Health through the ECD national Steering Committee, The Ministry of Education, Municipalities and Local Governments will establish a partnership with the private sector and community operators of services to assist them to upgrade facilities and to make the required improvements. This partnership will include assistance with preparing improvement plans and approaching private sector sources for funding.

 Strengthen and coordinate support and monitoring of the quality of the early childhood learning environments. The Ministry of Education together with the Municipalities and the Local Governments will establish a system of coordinated support and monitoring of early childhood services in community based and day care services through the designation of field officers with monitoring and support functions.

Design and implement programmes that will enable the participation of children with Special Needs in early childhood development services, Currently this is limited to non existent. 

• This week I explored several links on the Zero to Three website, but decided to share on the topic:

 Toward a Bright Future for Our Youngest Children: Building a Strong Infant-Toddler Workforce 

T he past two decades have been marked by an explosion of knowledge about early development. We now know that high-quality experiences in the first years of life set the stage for healthy development, school readiness, academic success, and more productive lives.

1.  Research shows that all domains of development—social, emotional, intellectual, language, and physical—are interdependent and work together to promote a child’s overall health and well-being,

2. To ensure healthy children, strong families, and positive early learning experiences, professionals in a wide variety of roles and settings must respond to the needs of infants and toddlers in partnership with families and within the context of each child’s culture, ethnicity, and primary language. This work requires a level of specialized knowledge and skill that is unique to the developmental needs of these early foundational years, as well as collaboration among practitioners. Strengthening systems that support professional development is a critical task for the early childhood field. While all states are in the process of designing and implementing these systems, none of them are adequately funded, most have components missing, and some only minimally include the infant-toddler workforce. No state has fully formed a coordinated, cross-sector system of professional preparation and development for practitioners who work with children from birth to age 8—the full developmental spectrum of early childhood.

3. We must create and sustain an integrated professional development system that:

 •Fully incorporates infant-toddler workforce preparation and ongoing professional development based on widely accepted, evidence-based competencies

•Is aligned with and articulates into college degree programs

•Includes alternative pathways to credentials

•Connects the various service delivery program types

•Provides appropriate compensation

Federal and state policymakers must support cross sector workforce initiatives and invest in comprehensive, integrated early childhood professional development systems to ensure that our youngest children and their families have the opportunity to reach their potential.

One of the links that spoke about the issues discussed this week was building early childhood systems. All infants and toddlers need access to high-quality, affordable early care and education, health and mental health, and family support services. Programs and services that address these areas are critical; however, they are only as strong as the infrastructure that supports them. These resources will help you to promote comprehensive, coordinated systems of high-quality, prenatal-to-five services in your state. 

 Retrieved from

http://www.zerotothree.org/public-policy/policy-toolkit/professional-development-final-for-web.pdf

 Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

This week I was unable to connect with my professional contact. She was busy and did not respond to my questions. I  have decided instead to share the insights that I have garnered from the Harvard University’s Global Children’s Initiative website this week.                                  
 The  Harvard University’s Global Children’s Initiative website provides much information on the work that is being done all over the world to address issues of equity and excellence. I was able to gain insights on the purpose of the Global Children's Initiative Program, their objectives and the work that they are doing around the world globe.The Center on the Developing Child has launched the Global Children’s Initiative as the centerpiece of its global child health and development agenda, in an explicit effort to build an integrated international approach to child survival, health, and development in the earliest years of life. However the insight that I found most interesting was the article by  Jack Shonkoff. He states that "Achieving sustained prosperity in any society depends on building a strong foundation in all children in order to help them fulfill many roles: successful learners, healthy and productive workers, contributing members of their community, and effective parents of the next generation. Early childhood policies and programs contribute to these goals by providing enhanced learning experiences for children living in poverty, as well as parenting education and supports for their families. But while these policies and programs have produced long-term benefits for individuals and society, the quality of implementation and magnitude of impacts have been inconsistent at best. If we want to do better for our children, we must aim higher" (Shonkoff, 2013).

 I do agree that more needs to be done at the implementation level in order to magnify the impacts programs and policies have on their intended target. In my country I have seen investment of millions of dollars in projects and programs. However, the implementation of these programs were not as impacting thus many times the magnitude of impact  on the target was missed. I believe greater monitoring at the implementation level is needed. This will help to ensure maximum quality out.

Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/),